A few years ago I was leading a parent of teen support group when a mother expressed her irritation with her son’s special interest, the Titanic. “The Titanic,” one father shot back, “I’d love to hear about that, I’m stuck with Pokemon.” At AANE we frequently hear parents’ complaints about special interests. We understand, it can be hard to live with someone else’s special interest. Some parents easily embrace their child’s interests, some find this a lot harder, but we have found that having more information about the purpose of special interests can make living with them easier.